Portable fire-escape.



J. JBFFRIES. ronTAiLz FIRE ESCAPE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1908.

920,956. Patented May11,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rm: Royals Psrn's cot, wnmucmu. p. c.

J. w. JEFFRIES. PORTABLE FIRE ESGAPE. APPLIOATIONIILED JUNBZZ'IQOS.

Patented May 11, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- Witnesses JOHN WILLIAMJEFFRIESQF PATTONSBURG, MISSOURI.

ron'rABLn FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11,1909.

Application filed June '27, 1908. Serial No. MOJY IO.

To all whom it may concern: I I

Be it known that I, JOHNWIL IAM JEF- FRIES, a citizen of the-UnitedStates, residing at Pattonsburg, in the county of Daviess and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PortableFire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My present invention relates to improve ments in portable fire escapes,the main object of my invention, being theprovision of a portableframe-work, which is kept readily accessible within a room of abuilding,and which can be quickly placed at awindow or proper exit inthe wall,and project a flexible ladder, whereby the occupants may safely leavethe burning or endangered buildmg.

To attain these objects, the invention consists ]primarily of aframe-work having adjusta ly mounted near its up er end a pair ofbrackets, in which is journa ed the flexible ladder and its retainingdrum, while in the lower end of the frame work, I provide a sillengaging means, which'holds the frame work in rigid position when inuse;

To more clearly illustrate my invention, attention is invited to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of thecomplete fire-escape, the ladder beingupon its drum. Fig. 2 shows theescape in use at a window. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the laddersupporting bracket and drum, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of thesill engaging hooks. Referring to the drawings:The numeral 1 designatesthe two long vertical strips or bars, which are spaced and held apart atthe top by the transverse strip 2, which extends beyond each strip 1,and at the bottom by means of the round rods or rungs 3 and the twocross-bars 4. When this frame is out of use, it is adapted tostandvertically upon its rollers or casters 5, and lean against the wallwithin the room, and accessible to a window or other opening in thewall. 7

Secured adjustably by means of the bolts 6, to the strips or bars 1, andprojecting upon one side thereof, areithe two brackets 7, which have journaled in their outer ends 8, the shaft 9, of the drum 10, whichcarries the flexible ladder 11. In order to wind the ladder upon thedrum, I employ thehandle or crank 12, and to hold the drum at anydesired position; I employ the pawl and ratchet l3. construction, and'byexamining Fig. 2, it will be seen that the frame remains upon the insideof the window, While the drum and ladder are projected exteriorly of thesame, so that theladder will pass down in front of the window, and thewindows directly below, so that occupants may ste upon the rungs 3,through the window an upon the ladder, and with their back to thebuilding can very readily descend safely.

In order-to hold the frame against slippin I employ the two pivotallyand adjustalfly mounted sill engaging hooks or arms 14, which aresecured to the strips 1, so that their hooked ends will engage the outerface of the window sill or wall, and thus prevent the lower end of theframe, when weight is placed upon the ladder and brackets, from slidingback into the building and thus precipitating the escape through thewindow.

By this construction of a portable fire-escape, it will be seen that onemay be kept in either ofthe top story rooms, or in each room of abuilding, and that by reason of its simplicity, the occupants mayquickly place the frame in position at the window and let the ladderdown upon the exterior of the wall. Thus I produce a simple, durable andinexpensive portable fire-escape, which is thoroughly efflcient andpractlcal.

What I claim, as new, is

1. In a portable fire-escape, the combination of a frame adapted toparallel the inner wall of a building and project above and below anopening or window therein, brackets window, a drum j ournaled in saidbrackets, a

flexible ladder mounted upon said drum and adapted to parallel theexterior of the building, and means carried by the frame and adapted toengage the lower edge of the opening or window, for the purpose setforth.

3. In a portable fire-escape, the combination of a frame adapted toparallel the inner wall of a building and project above and below anopening'or window therein, brackets carrying a drum and a flexibleladder carried by said frame and adapted to be projected through said 0ening or Window, and a pair of pivoted hoo s-connected to the frame and5 adapted to engage the sill or the opening or Window and hold the framein parallel position.

4. A portable fire-escape, comprising two parallel vertical strips, atransverse strip at 10 the top projecting beyond the vertical strips,

eross bars securing the lower ends of the vertical strips, two rungsmounted in the lower

